Government employees stage a one-day strike at the LCB warehouse on East Broadway in Vancouver on September 5, 2012. Photo by Wayne Leidenfrost /PNG

Content of the article

One of B.C.’s largest unions, representing tens of thousands of government employees, has issued notice that job action could come as early as Monday, with implications expected for a range of public services.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Stephanie Smith, president of the General Employees Union of BC, says its 33,000 members, including firefighters, corrections officers, administrative staff and BC liquor and cannabis workers, are unwilling to budge on their most pressing demand. “We’re asking for wage protection from inflation with a cost-of-living adjustment clause in a new collective agreement.” Although Smith acknowledged that “anything could happen in the next 72 hours” before the strike goes ahead, she hopes the BC Public Service Agency will fold under pressure from workers. “Hopefully the phone rings this weekend and they call us back with a serious offer,” he told Postmedia on Saturday. Tensions between the union and the employer boiled over in late June when members rejected a 9.99 percent wage increase over the next three years.

Advertising 3

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Stephanie Smith is the president of the Union of Government and Services Employees of K.B.E. PNG “The wage offer was very low, there was no recognition of cost of living adjustments,” Smith said. On Friday, the BCGEU advised workers to “monitor your email for details of targeted sites to be picketed,” in an online bulletin. In a statement, the BC Public Service Agency assured that “while it is uncertain how the union may initiate strike action, critical services will continue to be available to the public” and that it respects workers’ right to strike. Public employees whose sudden leave of absence would pose a legal and public safety risk — including wildland firefighters and those in courthouses, prisons and child protective services — plan to carry out their jobs with others ways. “If we strike, these workers could refuse to work overtime, perform only the duties outlined in their employment contract and be determined to take their breaks on time,” Smith said.

Advertising 4

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Government employees stage a one-day strike at the LCB warehouse on East Broadway in Vancouver on September 5, 2012. Photo by Wayne Leidenfrost /PNG The last time BCGEU members were on the picket lines was nearly a decade ago, when 1,785 BC government construction sites. Although the union was last invited to the bargaining table for exploratory talks on Friday, Smith said the BC Public Service Agency proved tough in negotiations. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for workers to meet the cost of rent and mortgage payments,” he said, noting that groups are clashing more often as wages fail to keep up with the cost of living. While the last wage increase for public service workers was two per cent in April of last year, consumer inflation increased by four times as much in June, according to Statistics Canada.

Advertising 5

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

“Employees’ purchasing power has been reduced as the cost of everything else has gone up, especially gas prices. It affects our communities in BC. as less is spent on smaller businesses now that there is little or no disposable income.” Starting pay for wildland firefighters is less than $24 an hour. Unlike MLAs, provincial workers’ salaries do not fluctuate to adjust to prevailing inflation rates. “What we are asking is not new. The old age pension and other benefits are adjusted based on inflation rates,” Smith said. The vast majority of union members working in the direct government, almost 95 percent, voted in favor of the strike. [email protected] twitter.com/sarahgrochowski

Share this article on your social network

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. By clicking the subscribe button, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for subscribing!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of Vancouver Sun Headline News will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if someone follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.